Marlin Model 1897

A later production Model 1897 from the Author’s Collection

It was borne of an era of civilized travel: passenger trains connected the coasts; folks traveled in proper attire, men in their coats, ties, and hats and ladies in their dresses; and in the cities horses began to make way for bicycles. Luggage was hardsided and handled by the porters. Rifles were transported discreetly, in a proper case, just as the finest London shotguns.

This Bicycle Model 1897 has a serial number that dates to 1897 and features an octagon-to-round barrel. This special order model included a special case designed to fit in the frame of a bicycle for easy transport. Only 216 bicycle models were known to have been manufactured, including 18 with round barrels and 5 with octagon-to-round barrels.
(Photo from Rock Island Auctions promotional material)
An advertisement for Marlin’s Bicycle Rifle in a British publication. The ad also indicates that a 20″ barrel rifle was available. The author has seen many period Marlin’s at British auctions, but has yet to see a 20″ barrel.

Sensing the winds of change, Marlin submitted a patent for a takedown rimfire rifle and the resultant Model 1897 was a near-instant success, selling over 81,000 rifles in its 21-year run. The 1897 was truly a rifle of its time, a proper rimfire designed to be easily disassembled for transport and chambered in the most popular cartridge of all time, the .22 longrifle.  Available as a standard model from retailers, or as a custom order with an array of options direct from the factory in Connecticut, the Model 1897 was a gun for everyone as much as it was a gun for someone special.

Patent No 584,177 for the “simple, inexpensive, and effective means whereby the barrel portion may be readily separated from the stock portion for convenience in packing and transportation…” that shows the the receiver halves. Another Lewis Hepburn development, the 1897 marked the transition from Marlin’s fixed-frame models to what would evolve into the Model 39
An early advertisement for the Model 1897
(Munsey’s Magazine, August, 1897)

By the introduction of the Model 1897, Marlin’s custom shop was in full swing. The economy of the late 1890s was booming and an emerging upper-middle class had the disposable income to treat themselves to luxury goods, while the working class still needed quality working arms. Marlin and Hepburn had largely worked through the growing pains of the smallbore lever-loading rifles with the iterative upgrades to the Model 1891 and 1892. The 1897 was the resulting option-laden model that Marlin saw as the potential solution to everyone’s rimfire needs.

This Model 1897 was engraved by Marlin master engraver Conrad Ulrich, likely in 1908 or 1909, based on the serial number. The Ulrich family was full of engravers and engraved Marlins, Colts, and Winchesters during the late 19th and early 20th century. This rifle features the rare Monarch of the Glen and Bear Relief.
(Photo from Rock Island Auction Promotional Materials)
This Model 1897 from the author’s collection is a fine example of a utility-grade rifle with no special features or options. This early production rifle likely left the factory in late 1898.

Never one to sit idly, the 1897 continued to evolve over it’s production run, introducing a number of functional improvements including the addition of a magazine cutoff, cartridge guide spring, and the transition from a round-top to flat-top receiver. The production run also saw a number of aesthetic transitions including a change in the barrel rollmark, and a change in the model marking from ‘Model 1897’ to ‘Marlin ’97.’

This model 1897 was manufactured in 1902, according to commonly accepted serial number ranges. The screw that attaches to the magazine cutoff can be seen in the center of the side of the receiver. Rifle from the author’s collection.
An early rollmark used on Models 1892 and 1897 until sometime in 1906.
An early ’round top’ receiver without provisions to mount the Hepburn sight, and without the cartridge guide spring introduced in 1904.
The upper tang on the 1897. This roll mark was used until sometime in 1905.
Image of different rollmarks on the barrels:
“MARLIN FIRE-ARMS CO, NEW-HAVEN CT, U.S.A
PAT’D JAN 18, 1887, APRIL 2, 1889, AUG 12, 1890, MAR 1, 1892″ (Early, until ~1906)
“Marlin Firearms Co. New-Haven, CT U.S.A
Pat’d Nov 19, 1878, APRIL 2, 1889, AUG, 12, 1890, MAR, 1, 1892″ (Late) and

With the outbreak of war in Europe driving demand for military arms, Marlin leadership was approached by J.P. Morgan and asked to begin production arms for export. Unable to meet the demand on their own. Marlin, like many other companies at the time had little interest in expanding their operations and changing corporate direction away from sporting arms. In late 1915 the company shares were bought out by William P. Bonbright & Co. (an investment company) and Mr. Albert F. Rockwell (the lead investor in the purchase) was appointed president. The company name was changed from The Marlin Fire Arms Company to Marlin Arms Corporation. A few Marlin-Rockwell sporting arms were assembled from leftover parts while the company waited for contracts to be awarded, but production of new arms were focused on supporting the war effort. A handful of Model 1897 rifles are known to have been produced, all with non-prefixed Serial numbers below 50,000. A limited number of sporting rifles were produced with “Marlin-Rockwell Corp” rollmarks on the barrel, but the author has not seen any Model 1897s with this rollmark.

After the war, Marlin-Rockwell began divesting of it’s holdings, including it’s firearms division. The Marlin Firearms Corporation was formed in 1921 by an employee and returned to the sporting-arms business. Looking to separate itself from it’s corporate lineage many models were retired to be reintroduced as new models. The Model 1897, a staple of the Marlin catalog, fell victim and the model was discontinued.

Many Model 1897 rifles were rebarreled by the factory after the introduction of cleaner-burning hi-speed .22LR in the 1930s and have the 2-line Marlin Firearms Corporation rollmark on the barrel, these are not believed to have been produced during the short period the Marlin Firearms Corporation was in business, but to have been a result of the Marlin Firearms Company using the existing roll-stamps and barrel inventory.

The Marlin 1897 is the the result of an amazing period of American Firearm Manufacturing: born of the industrial revolution and at the nexus of the period of industrial standardization, it offered both reliable quality and options for customization.

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